Zombies walking the streets, ghosts and ghouls mingling at the bar, and scary sights all around can mean one thing: Victoria finally got boring enough where the dead have risen! Then again, it could also be Halloween time for the “nearly dead” city we reside in. Thankfully for this Halloween, we were treated to a haunting of a show at Lucky Bar featuring Local favorites Gun St. Ghouls, Lake Placid, and headlined by Victoria’s Ghostbusters of Rock, Trophy Dad. Under the watchful eye of a 12 ft. tall skeleton, Lucky Bar was filled with halloween decor that kind of gave off Hell’s Kitchen vibes, which I loved. The only thing missing was someone dressing up as Gordon Ramsey. Besides that, Lucky was the place to be and here’s why.
To start the night, we were met with a newer name, Gun St. Ghouls. Prior to the show, I was recommended to them by my writing buddy Rags Blake and I completely see why. Right when they stepped on the stage in their costumes, they did not miss a beat and went straight into some high paced rock music. Their set featured a cover of Echo & The Bunnymen’s The Killing Moon, which was a very fitting song seeing as the lead singer was dressed up as Donnie Darko. Another personal favorite song of mine from their set involved them counting to 16. Humor met some really incredible riffs and are easily going to be a new favourite in town. Also, hats off to their drummer who played through the struggles of their mummy costume unwrapping, it was true dedication.
Lake Placid were up next and their costumes were quite fitting to the phrase, “I’ll be back”. Not only were they dressed as the crazy robot man creation, but it’s been awhile since a Lake Placid show. With their abilities showing no signs of rust, the band played a full set including some classic Lake Placid tracks like their very on-brand first release, John Connor. As the group serenaded the crowd with this experimental alternative sound, I couldn’t help but notice the voice modulator the lead singer was using. It was a fun element to their sound and made it quite easy to get fully immersed in their music. The band’s return was well received and I think I can speak for most when I share the hope of seeing their name around town more often.
Last to play the stage on Halloween night was the incredible rock n’ roll sounds of Trophy Dad. Wearing full Ghostbuster attire, the band opened their set with the movie’s classic theme by Ray Parker Jr. After that, it was a full on Trophy Dad set featuring favourites from their last two EPs and a preview of new music. Their set was well polished and you can tell the band cohesion on stage is strong. For a track like Pretty Girls (Cause Car Accidents), the group sounded like clockwork which made for a great live experience. The stage presence alone shows that all members of the band were meant to rock. I cannot recommend enough that you see a Trophy Dad show, especially with the new music they have coming out soon.
To be fair, I am not the biggest Halloween fan but this show was a real treat and definitely not a trick. It was nice to see a show come together so well on a Tuesday of all nights. A show worthy of staying up late and opening the office early the next morning. With the spookiness behind us, we draw near to the end of this year. As I begin to reflect on the shows I attended the past year, one thing is clear: shows featuring local artists, including this one, continue to show why our music scene is so great.
